Bundesliga
There is no end to the entertainment whenever Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim do battle in the Bundesliga and with Friday's night's next chapter in the tale edging ever closer, we take a trip down memory lane to remember some of the meetings between the teams that still have fans talking.
Dortmund 3-2 Hoffenheim
Season 2021/22: Matchday 3
Goals: 1-0 Reyna 49’, 1-1 Baumgartner 61’, 2-1 Bellingham 69‘, 2-2 Dabbur 90‘, 3-2 Haaland 90‘+1
If Friday night's Matchday five meeting between these teams produces even half of the entertainment of last season's game at Signal Iduna Park, we're in for a popcorn-munching night of pulsating football. Not that you'd have predicted last year's game would hit the heights it did when the teams went into the break scoreless. Looking for a sixth straight home win in the Bundesliga, Borussia burst in front after the restart when England international midfielder Jude Bellingham released USMNT star Gio Reyna to score on his 50th appearance in the division, making him the youngest player ever to reach that milestone.
Watch: Reyna, Bellingham and Haaland send BVB fans wild
Hoffenheim went into this fixture unbeaten in nine games, and the Sinsheimers were level via Christoph Baumgartner's smashed shot across the face of goal that flew in at the far post. End-to-end mode now activated, Bellingham controlled superbly on his thigh before drilling a deadly effort past goalkeeper Oliver Baumann for 2-1. Game over? Not a bit of it. Munas Dabbur popped up at the back stick to covert from a corner in the 90th minute. And then Erling Haaland only went and won it moments afterwards.
The Norwegian marksman started a chaotic move that involved a couple of brilliant Baumann saves which were followed by a no-nonsense, thunder-cracker of a shot from Haaland that almost broke the nets at the Yellow Wall end. In doing so, the Norwegian became the youngest player to score 43 Bundesliga goals, with his haul arriving in 46 games. If that's not the perfect advert for this weekend's action under the Friday night lights, we don't know what is!
Dortmund 0-4 Hoffenheim
Season 2019/20: Matchday 34
Goals: 0-1 Kramaric 8‘, 0-2 Kramaric 30‘, 0-3 Kramaric 48‘, 0-4 Kramaric (pen.) 50‘
"This is happening not so often in the history of football," were Andrej Kramaric's words after the Croatian put on a sublime attacking display that yielded four goals at Dortmund on the last day of the season in 2020. "It was a dream to score four goals in this stadium against an amazing opponent; I have to say, I'm very proud of myself," the now 31-year-old added as he fielded post-match questions in the bright sunshine. His team needed a win that day against a Dortmund side already assured of a second-placed finish. Hoffenheim were hoping to avoid a Europa League play-off and reach the tournament's group stages directly when they made the journey north in late June.
The visitors had posted a warning by netting seven times in their previous two games and they were off the mark early on at Signal Iduna Park, Kramaric's arcing drive from outside of the box leaving goalkeeper Roman Bürki rooted to the spot. It was 2-0 to the Sinsheimers before half time, Kramaric staying onside to convert from Robert Skov's effort. Luciene Favre's hosts were really up against it shortly after the break, Kramaric completing his hat-trick with a tidy goal that followed some mesmerising twisting and turning inside the area. Both the Croatian's and his team's fourth came from the penalty spot. The scoreline equalled Dortmund's heaviest home defeat in the Bundesliga but it was a little slice of end-of-term heaven for Hoffeniheim and their wizard from Zagreb.
Watch: Kramaric nets four against stunned Borussia
Dortmund 3-3 Hoffenheim
Season 2018/19: Matchday 21
Goals: 1-0 Sancho 32’, 2-0 Götze 43’, 3-0 Guerreiro 67’, 3-1 Belfodil 75’, 3-2 Kaderabek 83‘, 3-3 Belfodil 87‘
Current Dortmund coach Edin Terzic was in charge when regular tactician Favre fell ill ahead of this February barnstormer in 2019. As he so often was during his Bundesliga stint, Jadon Sancho was in inspired form in this game. The current Manchester United man had a goal ruled out for offside before netting a terrific opener, running away from goal before sweeping an effort back across the target and in at the far post. The England attacker was involved again for 2-0, his shot parried out by Baumann straight to the feet of Mario Götze, who tapped in his 50th Bundesliga goal. Raphael Guerreiro then increased the Black-and-Yellows' lead with just 23 minutes of the contest remaining.
In the Hoffenheim dugout, Julian Nagelsmann urged his men forward and with 15 to play, Ishak Belfodil netted what looked a consolation for the visitors. When Pavel Kaderabek made it 3-2 with seven minutes still to go, Nagelsmann and his charges visualised the comeback, especially with the Signal Iduna Park momentarily becoming a cauldron of uncertainty. Dennis Geiger's free-kick then reached the head of Belfodil, and you could almost sense the shrieks as the ball beat Bürki in the closing stages. Hoffenheim had completed what seemed the impossible, with Dortmund left to rue the loss of two points. "That's how football is sometimes," Sancho said with a shrug of the shoulders after an enthralling game.
Watch: When Hoffenheim came back from the dead
Hoffenheim 4-1 Dortmund
Season 2008/09, Matchday 5
Goals: 1-0 Ibisevic 5‘, 2-0 Salihovic 25‘, 3-0 Ibisevic 47‘, 4-0 Eduardo 67‘, 4-1 Santana 90’
The start of the 2008/09 season was the the stuff of dreams for Hoffenheim, who would become the first newly-promoted side to sit atop the Bundesliga standings at the midway stage of the campaign. Coach Ralf Rangnick had worked his magic to take the club from the Regionalliga to the Bundesliga summit in double quick time and Dortmund were to get a taste of a team in fearless form in the sides' first Bundesliga meeting in 2008. Vedad Ibisevic scored an incredible 18 goals and provided seven assists in his side's 17 opening games and he had Hoffenheim flying with two goals either side of his compatriot Sejad Salihovic's strike on Matchday 5 that season.
Jürgen Klopp's visitors were suffering something of an injury crisis when they visited Hoffenheim's temporary home, the Carl-Benz-Stadion in Mannheim, but were still determined to maintain an impressive five-month unbeaten run on the road. Brazilian Carlos Eduardo blew those hopes away when he added a fourth for the home side, who moved up to second in the standings as a result of this victory, which was only slightly tainted by Felipe Santana's consolation. Sadly, Ibisevic would suffer a season-ending knee injury during the winter break and Hoffenheim's form would suffer as a result, the team eventually finishing seventh, one place behind Klopp's Dortmund.
Dortmund 2-1 Hoffenheim
Season 2017/18: Matchday 17
Goals: 0-1 Uth 21’, 1-1 Aubameyang 63’, 2-1 Pulisic 89’
What a night this turned out to be, the Signal Iduna Park bouncing come the end of a dramatic affair that was won by Die Schwarzgelben's American hero, Christian Pulisic. Nagelsmann's visitors were feeling on top of the world having previously downed rivals Stuttgart in the Swabian derby and they were celebrating once more here when Mark Uth's ninth goal of the season put them ahead in the first half. Stefan Posch upended Shinji Kagawa in the area to offer Dortmund a route back into the game and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rolled in the coolest of spot kicks to claim his 13th goal of the season.
Dortmund had brought in coach Peter Stöger to replace the dismissed Peter Bosz and the incoming tactician was quickly under pressure to end a run of seven competitive games without a win at home. That looked like being an eighth, until the boy from Hershey, Pulisic, popped up in the last minute to control and convert a Kagawa pass. Pulisic had just been named American Player of the Year and both he and the Dortmund fans celebrated in style as BVB went on to recover their season with a place in the division's top four on the back of the morale gained from this game.
Watch: Pulisic magic helps Dortmund down Hoffenheim